ly obey the
word and gesture by which Margaret summoned her to her side.

"Dear Ethel, you must calm yourself, or you will not be of use."

"I? I can't be of any use! Oh, if you could go! If Flora were but here!
But I must go, Margaret."

"I will put up your father's things," said Dr. Spencer, in a soothing
tone. "The carriage cannot be ready in a moment, so that there will be
full time."

Mary and Miss Bracy prepared Ethel's own goods, which she would
otherwise have forgotten; and Margaret, meanwhile, detained her by her
side, trying to calm and encourage her with gentle words of counsel,
that might hinder her from giving way to the flurry of emotion that had
seized her, and prevent her from thinking herself certain to be useless.

Adams was to drive her thither in the gig, and it presently came to the
door. Dr. Spencer wrapped her up well in cloaks and shawls, and spoke
words of kindly cheer in her ear as she set off. The fresh night air
blew pleasantly on her, the stars glimmered in full glory overhead,
and now and then her eye was caught by the rocket-like track of a
shooting-star. Orion was rising slowly far in the east, and bringing to
her mind the sailor-boy under the southern sky; if, indeed, he were
not where sun and stars no more are the light. It was strange that the
thought came more as soothing than as acute pain; she could bear to
think of him thus in her present frame, as long as she had not to
talk of him. Under those solemn stars, the life everlasting seemed
to overpower the sense of this mortal life, and Ethel's agitation was
calmed away.

The old cedar-tree stood up in stately blackness against the sky, and
the lights in the house glanced behind it. The servants looked rather
surprised to see Ethel, as if she were not expected, and conducted her
to the great drawing-room, which looked the more desolate and solitary,
from the glare of lamplight, falling on the empty seats which Ethel
had lately seen filled with a glad home party. She was looking round,
thinking whether to venture up to Meta's room, and there summon
Bellairs, when Meta came gliding in, and threw her arms round her.
Ethel could not speak, but Meta's voice was more cheerful than she had
expected. "How kind of you, dear Ethel!"

"Papa sent for me," said Ethel.

"He is so kind! Can Margaret spare you?"

"Oh, yes; but you must leave me. You must want to be with him."

"He never lets me come in when he has these attacks," said Met